Deconstructing Leo: Lisa Loeb Top 40 Complete!

It's time for one of the most extraordinary artists of all time. It is very hard to rate Björk, because many of her songs must be heard as a whole body of work rather than as individual expressions... so how to rate a song, how to separate them from theirselves? Well, here is the result of this approach.

40. Mutual Core (Biophilia)The Biophilia experience live was the most fascinating musical experience of my whole life. She came to Buenos Aires and I got the chance to be there. I think this album is a creative peak in Björks catalogue, but as I am evaluating songs, it won't be very much around.

39. Wanderlust (Volta)All her albums from Selmasongs on were difficut to digest, but that's what I love from her. No easy music (I have plenty of other artists fro that). Before she was very msuical imo, but then she became something else. Songs are there but are hard to find sometimes. But when you get them, when you understand them, they blow your mind.

38. Generous PalmstrokeBeautiful song, this live performance is very good. She is a great performer live.

37. Bachelorette (Homogenic)I have a love/hate relationship with this song. It was an early single from the Homogenic era and I thought at the time that there were much better songs in the album than this one... I hated it. But then I loved it, it is soo full of emotions. She screams a little too much sometimes.

34. Where Is The Line (Medúlla)The whole Medulla project was a big risky choice. It turned out fine, but when I first learnt about it I just thought taht Björk had lost her mind. A whole album just made with human voices... I chose this video because it kind of shows the idea behind the album. This song is very good! I really love the simple but strong line "where is the line with you?"

33. Innocence (Volta)Neurosis only attaches itself toFertile ground where it can flourish

19. 5 Years (Homogenic)I love this song, it reminds me the sound to Simon Says:

Anyway, the song is so full of anger that I really love, the sounds expressing so much here.

18. Earth Intruders (Volta)Björk + Timbaland = one of the most surprising pairings for me. I didn't know what to expect, but it turned out great.

17. Army Of Me (Post)This is the song that introduced me to this gem in music.

16. Alarm Call (Homogenic)As I prefer the album version, I am omiting the video link here.You can't say no to hope, can't say no to happiness

15. Come To Me (Debut)I went to see her live 3 times already... thankfully she is an artist that came to the south periodically. I LOVE her performances. I remember this one from her first visit. She was going to come in the Post era but she cancelled the tour due to ehalth issues and I had to give the ticket back, but then visited us during the Homogenic tour and it was heaven.

9. Drawing Restraint 9 (2005) - My rating: 60.7I love Björk, but this album was complicated. I didn't learn of it's existance uintil I was walking by in a Tower Records here in Buenos Aires and suddenly saw it there, "Björk's new album". It's experimental, it's fine, but wierd.

8. Medúlla (2004) - My rating: 67.5The idea was interesting, some songs are fantastic, but all in all the album is difficult.

7. Biophilia (2011) - My rating: 70.0Another difficult to digest album. As separate songs, the average is 70, but in this case, and after seeing the Biophilia Experience Live, I can say it was her creative peak, really soemthign outstanding. But they need to be heard all together and with the visuals. Here, I am ranking songs and then doing the average for the albums, that's why it ranks this low.

6. Vespertine (2001) - My rating: 70.5The begining of the century found Bjork releasing this album. It has some really good songs, but also some tough ones.

5. Selmasongs (2000) - My rating: 70.7I LOVE this movie. The story is heartbreaking, her performance is outstanding, and the songs beautiful. Such a moving experience seeing it in the cinema.

It was during Post era. A close frined of mine bought it and couldn't stop telling me how great she was and that I should give it a try. I did, and loved it. It was love at first sight.I saw her live in the Homogenic tour, then in the Volta tour and finally in the Biophilia Experience. I cried during this last one, such a touching and beautiful experience. I know there is a movie premiering now about taht, I really have to check it.

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40. Mutual Core (Biophilia)A spectacular song, Bjork was really creative and experimental in that whole album, but can't say I have the urge to listen to it often (again, much like the album itself)

39. Wanderlust (Volta)LOVE, one of my fave Bjork songs, just so grandiose and beautiful in every way.37. Bachelorette (Homogenic)It was an early love, but I've kinda grown off it. Still a great song nonetheless.

36. It's Not Up To You (Vespertine)Like the whole album, this is just amazing, the layers in the production amaze me everytime.

34. Where Is The Line (Medúlla)I agree with you on Medulla, too difficult for me, and this song especially. The video is really bizarre and creepy in a good way, but I can't really listen to the song much.

32. Venus As A Boy (Debut)Fave from Debut!

31. Cosmonogy (Biophilia)One of my faves from Biophilia, very beautiful and has a certain wisdom and peace to it.

29. Pagan Poetry (Vespertine)I don't want to repeat myself, because for every song off Vespertine all I can say is gorgeous, emotional and perfectly produced!

27. Oceania (Medúlla)Oddly, this is one of my Bjork faves despite being on Medulla, and it was the first song of hers I heard (I'm too young ) and fell in love instantly.

25. Unravel (Homogenic)Hnnnnnnnnnnng, gorgeous

24. Hidden Place (Vespertine)See: It's Not Up to You + Pagan Poetry. And this is even better.

22. Violently Happy (Debut)This is a song I really can't get into, like a lot of Debut.

21. Isobel (Post)See: Bachelorette

20. One Day (Debut)2nd fave on Debut after Venus!18. Earth Intruders (Volta)Cool and catchy song, but on Volta I prefer the more difficult ones like Pneumonia, I See Who You Are or Vertebrae (hope that some of them will appear in the top 10)

17. Army Of Me (Post)Amazing song, but it took a lot of time for it to grow on me despite being among her most famous ones. I loved Hyperballad instantly, but this one took some time.

As for the albums, your #6 and #4 would be my #1 and #2 Selmasongs was too difficult for me and I could barely listen to it once unfortunately, and still haven't check out DR9.

Sad this is coming to an end! Another artist that was a pleasure to revisit.

10. It's Oh So Quiet (Post)I think this was her breakthrough song here in Argentina. It was everywhere! I love the jazz in it.

9. Hunter (Homogenic)A perfect introduction of Homogenic. When I listened to this song, I knew this album was going to be great. Love the line "I thought I could organize freedom, how scandinavian of me" although I am not scandinavian and don't know anything about them.

8. New World (Selmasongs)The second the movie ended, this song invaded the cinema... and I just couldn't leave... Dancer In The Dark was a tremendously beautiful experience.

7. Declare Independence (Volta)Great! This song live is just a fantastic experience! Impossible not to jumpo, not to scream with her. I went all by myself to the Volta Tour show, and with this song she ended the show, all people completely crazy and flying, it was the best thing ever.

3. Homogenic (1997) - My rating: 81.8Very good third album. More electronic than her previous efforts, more cold, with deep lyrics, with more rage imo.

2. Debut (1993) - My rating: 82.0A very strong debut album from her. Still is one of my favs from her, probably because of the influence this music had in my teenage years. the saound here is more raw than in the next albums, but you can see she was trying to find herself and her sound. There would not be a biophilia or a volta without Debut and Post.

1. Post (1995) - My rating: 82.7a really good album. Some sogs are not my thing (Headphones) but other songs are just superb, like my #1 choice. This was my first Bjork album and I will always cherish it.

I am editing the second post with Beyoncé and Bjork´s info

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Why did you put numbers 7, 8, 9 for Post, Debut and Homogenic? Aren't they supposed to be 1-3?

Anyway, you have a Volta song in your top 10, but coincidentally it's my least fave by far, the only song I don't like on that album. But I can appreciate it!

Love Joga, Hyperballad, Human Behaviour and Hunter. I also really love the 50 Seconds to Mars cover of Hunter, sometimes it even surpasses the original in my eyes, although that might sound a bit sacrilegious.

OK, time for my wife's favourite band ever! I met my wife when we were 15 and I fell completely in love with her. Part of my plan to get to meet her and be in touch was to become a Bon Jovi fan, and it paid off because we were close to each other since those days.I'll probably tell the story later, but the thing is that we were never together until we turned 27 and, after some love stories that went wrong, decided that it was time to finally enjoy the rest of our life together.

I really like them, but it is hard for me to be subjective here! They tend to loose their north every now and then...

40. If I Was Your Mother (Keep The Faith)Let's start with a more rock song! Bon Jovi goes from rock to ballads all the time lately. And a live video, which they are kind of used to, many songs have live videos, but it is the best theydo! Their shows are great.

38. (You Want To) Make A Memory (Lost Highway)After two rock songs, a ballad. I like it, very sweet and realxing sound. I remember the actress from Melrose Place.

37. Bed Of Roses (Keep The Faith)I think it is this album, and this particular song, in which BJ started to change it's music route. I like it, and I really rememebr this song in the parties when I was a teen, inviting a girl to slow dance, dancing like ten feet away from each other.

36. This Ain't A Love Song (These Days)These Days was a great album back then! I really couldn't stop listening to it. But others aged better. This song was fantastic, but he decided to make spanish version which should be erased from the earth.In the tour he came to Argentina for the first time. It was crazy, I loved the show. He closed it with the spanglish version and it was such a lame act that I will never forget it. Here is the linkfrom the show! Such great memories!

35. When We Were Beautiful (The Circle)ANOTHER live video! lol I am not very fond of this album, but this song is good.

31. Miracle (Blaze Of Glory)Blaze of Glory was the first ever cd that I bought. I rememebr my parents being in the states and phoning me saying that they bought a cd player (our first!) and asking me which two albums should they bring froo me... I just said "any from Bon Jovi" and they briught me this one. I like the country feeling of these songs.

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They almost turned me off 80s music completely when I was starting to get into that decade of tunes in my late teens (along with other hair rock and heavy metal "acts" ), so it's safe to say that I don't like them the least bit, although "Who Says You Can't Go Home" with that Sugarland singer is in my top 10 guiltiest pleasures ever.

SawyerHewitt wrote:The raw emotion Kween conveys when belting out WBT's climax>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>A MOMENT IN MUSIC HISTORY.

I think their best comes from the late 80s & early 90s, and I can understand that you don't like their music since then. They changed their sound after New Jersey and although I enjoy it I can get people being turned off.

I think in the next updates some songs will be of your interest... not the ballads lol

Goldmoney, WSYCGH is also a guilty pleasure of mine lol. It'll be around here in the next days. Thanks for posting!

leomedar wrote:I think their best comes from the late 80s & early 90s, and I can understand that you don't like their music since then. They changed their sound after New Jersey and although I enjoy it I can get people being turned off.

I think in the next updates some songs will be of your interest... not the ballads lol

Goldmoney, WSYCGH is also a guilty pleasure of mine lol. It'll be around here in the next days. Thanks for posting!

Yeah, I think the other thing with me is, I was still loving Hard Rock/Hair Metal/Heavy Metal in 1988 and for a bit afterwards, but by the time they came back with Keep The Faith in 93? (which I saw them live on), my music tastes had changed and I'd kind of lost interest in their music (an interest that would never return).

25. Blood Money (Blaze Of Glory)Great song! I love the country feeling in this album.

24. Have A Nice Day (Have A Nice Day)I think this album is underrated. It was a step on the right direction, a back to roots with more rock and country sound, but with an updated style. But their 2000's album are very unstable.

23. I Thank YouAnother B Side from These Days. A very refreshing sound.

22. We Weren't Born To Follow (The Circle)First singles from their last albums are all good, but all sound kind of the same imo. This is kind of Have a Nice Day version 2. Still, a good one.

14. 7800 Farenheit (1985) - My rating: 70.0There are only three songs in this album that I really like: In And Out Of Love, King Of The Mountain and Silent Night. The first two albums are average imo, they were looking for their sound and I think made good but somehow irrelevant music. But some gems are there which help them solidify their status and prepare audiences to enjoy Slippery When Wet, New Jersey and the rest is history.

13. Bounce (2002) - My rating: 70.2I think Bon Jovi found a formula that was working for them but not for me. Crush/Bounce are like the exactly same album for me. But as this is the second one, has less appeal to me than the previous. Some nice songs anyway.

12. Bon Jovi (1984) - My rating: 70.3One fantastic song (Runaway), three very good ones (She Don't Know Me, Shot Through The Heart & Breakout), the rest is forgettable. This type of music aged badly imo, but agasin, it was a vehicle for them to be known and eventually release some very strong albums.

11. What About Now (2013) - My rating: 70.8When I see the cover I expect much more than what it finally delivers. A more political album and that's good, but musically it is plain.

10. Destination Anywhere (1997) - My rating: 71.3I like the country sound in Jon Bon Jovi's solo efforts. But this one is much more radio oriented and there is when I think he lost it.

20. Runaway (Bon Jovi)The best song from the first two albums. Their first single ever, a great way to introduce themselves to the world.

19. These Days (These Days)Another country influenced song that I love. I remember that it was not a fav when this album came out, but eventually I realized it was the one song that I would keep on going back to from this era."Momma, I've got to try.Don't you know that all my heroes died?And I guess I'd rather die than fade away."

9. The Circle (2009) - My rating: 72.1Another album with a strong first single but then a formula-packed bunch of songs. It is a formula that I like but that is not working like before.

8. Crush (2000) - My rating: 72.7I really like It's My Life, so when I listened to it I was eager of new BJ! But then Say It isn't So and Thank You For Loving Me put me off. The album all in all is in line with many of their less interesting albums presented so far.

7. Lost Highway (2007) - My rating: 74.4Finally the country album I was waiting for from them! OK, it was not completely up to my expectations but it was a good ride.

6. These Days (1995) - My rating: 75.6The last album before their late 90's hiatus. I liked it a lot, but I think they were kind of tired of working together and it lacks the spirit of previous sets.

5. Have A Nice Day (2005) - My rating: 76.0Their best 2000's effort! Some great country-influenced songs that convinced them that the next album should be a country one.